Study 1: Bloxx
Study 1: Bloxx is the first episode of Alien Biology with CaT. It focuses on trying to explain the biology of the dumbass Lego alien Bloxx. Introduction To say Bloxx is one of the more controversial aliens out there is an understatement. A large majority of the fandom was outraged at the appearance of this stupid-looking Lego Gorilla, and it's not hard to see why. While Ben 10 has never been shy about creating implausible alien designs specifically to sell toys, Bloxx is the most egregious example of this, having an extremely toyetic design that gives no thought to its own internal logic. Here's where my unnecessary over-analysis comes in. Basic Details The most obvious problem with Bloxx is that he's made of...well, blocks. Ugly oversaturated blocks that we presume to be made of plastic. Blocks that combine into a gorilla shape by default for no obvious reason. While this is a pretty bad alien idea, I think we should take a step back and start reconsidering our fundamental assumptions about the alien. There's no canon source stating Bloxx is made out of plastic (at least not that I could find), or that he even necessarily has to take on a gorilla shape in his construction. There's obviously something strange about his biology, but even when we get a chance to peek at his inner anatomy when he gets broken apart, all we see is smooth "plastic". I'd like to posit something a bit odd here, and I'd like you to stick with me long enough for me to explain it. I think it's possible Bloxx's body is nothing more than a "pseudo-flesh" that carries around the real organism, i.e. Bloxx's head. The Head Alright, what do we know about Bloxx's shapeshifting? We know that he can shapeshift any part of his body any way he wants...except his head. Even when he transforms into a wall or a dome or whatever, where having your face vulnerable is a really dumb thing to do if you can help it, his head stays the same. I think it's plausible that this happens because he can only shapeshift using his chunks of "pseudo-flesh" (which we'll get to in a minute), while his head, as the original organism, cannot change shape. From here on out, most of what I'll be saying is purely speculative and merely an attempt to come up with a semi-feasible biology for Segmentasapiens. There's almost nothing to draw on from canon so I'll have to pull a lot of stuff out of my ass. The Growth A Segmentasapien's true form is a small, rounded insectoid creature only visible until it matures enough to start producing pseudo-flesh. Once its glands become active, the Segmentasapien will cover its entire body in a shell of pseudo-flesh to give it more protection, then move on to generating its gorilla-like body using the "spout" on its back. 1): The primary neural cluster. 2): A chitinous exoskeleton. 3): The "spout" used to create pseudo-flesh. 4): Small legs used to move around before the Segmentasapien grows its primary body. 5): Compound eyes that gradually merge as the Segmentasapien matures. 6): Pores that secret pseudo-flesh to help cover the organism faster. Maturing Segmentasapiens instinctively attempt to create a humanoid form, but since they can't produce nearly as much pseudo-flesh as the adults, the further away from the head the body is, the smaller it ends up being, resulting in a tapering, odd-looking body. Though this body shape may be discarded in favor of a more humanoid one at a later point, it is the most common shape found in Segmentasapiens throughout their "adolescent" years. The Pseudo-Flesh Alright, time to get down to the nitty-gritty of what exactly this stuff is. Pseudo-flesh is essentially a substance produced by the Segmentasapien "head" with a consistency similar to thick jelly. Pseudo-flesh is a unique substance in that it contains what are essentially extensions to the Segmentasapien's nervous system, allowing the Segmentasapien to control the flesh once secreted. Of course, pseudo-flesh doesn't stay in a secretable, jelly-like state for long; as soon as it makes contact with the air, the outer layer of pseudo-flesh will instantly begin to harden. The Segmentasapien can shift it around to keep it from hardening long enough to create a fairly large body segment, but as soon as the Segmentasapien stops trying to actively keep it flowing, the outer layer of the pseudo-flesh will turn into a hard, waxy shell that notably looks like plastic from a distance. These segments of hardened flesh can technically be made in any shape, but will almost always harden into blocks of various sizes, with very few exceptions. The color of the shell layer can vary greatly depending on the individual Segmentasapien's diet, genetics, and environment, but the three most common colors are red, yellow, and blue. Immediately underneath the shell layer is a layer of more flexible, but still relatively hardened, pseudo-flesh that acts as a second barrier to prevent the liquid pseudo-flesh inside the new segment from being exposed to any air. This layer of pseudo-flesh is always black in color and can be seen in the lines separating each segment of the pseudo-flesh body. The liquid pseudo-flesh inside the new solid segments still contains the nervous system extensions and acts as essentially the "muscles" of the pseudo-flesh body, allowing the Segmentasapien to move its new body as an extension of itself. 1): The liquid pseudo-flesh. 2): Small, harmless air bubbles are sometimes trapped inside new segments during their formation. 3): Some of the nerves inside the liquid pseudo-flesh. 4): The flexible layer of black pseudo-flesh. The Bumps Part of what makes Bloxx looks so much like building blocks are the little bumps arranged in various places across his body. In case Diagram 1 hasn't already clued you in to my explanation of these, here's something a little more in-depth. Each "bump" is a cerebral node of multiple neurons that act as "proto-brains" for the pseudo-flesh's nervous system. The Segmentasapien's primary cerebral node, while perfectly adequate for its own small body, cannot handle the extremely complex processing required to move large amounts of the liquid pseudo-flesh on its own; as such, these extra cerebral nodes help to move the pseudo-flesh body swiftly and precisely as opposed to barely if at all. 1): The outer shell. 2): The flexible layer. 3): The nerves and the cerebral node. Conclusion To summarize, I believe it is most plausible to assume that Bloxx is an insectoid creature with a secretion-based method of shapeshifting and regeneration utilizing an organic material not found here on Earth. Q&A If something about my explanation confused you, or you want me to go more in-depth about something, just ask about it in the comments section down below so I can address it here. *Q: If Bloxx's head is destroyed, can it be regenerated? **A: Yes, assuming 1): His body has at least one cerebral node left to tell the pseudo-flesh what to do, and 2): There is enough spare pseudo-flesh to construct the head, since it is the only body part that can naturally produce more. Category:Episodes Category:Theories Category:CaT